Brake for windmills



(Nd Model.) J. THOMPSON.

BRAKE FOR WINDMILLS.

No. 379,842. Patented Mar. 13, 1888.

WITNESSES .INVENTOR 9% M W BY Mu I ATTORNEYS.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN THOMPSON, OF HOLLAND, MICHIGAN.

BRAKE FOR 'WlNDMlLLS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 379,342, dated March13, 1888.

Application filed June 15, 1887. Serial No. 241.361.

T 0 all 2072 0177 it may concern:

Be itknown that I, JOHN THOMPSON, of H01- land, in the county of Ottawaand State of Michigan, have invented a new and useful Improvenient inBrakes for \Vindmills, of which the following is a full, clear, andexact description.

My invention relates to a brake for windmills, an d has for its objectto provide a means whereby when the vane is thrown out of the wind thebrake will be automatically applied to the wheel, holding the samemotionless.

The invention consists in the construction and combination of theseveral parts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth, and pointed outin the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawing, forming a part ofthis specification, in which the figure of the drawing illustrates theapplication of my improvement to a windmill.

ln carrying the invention into effect, A represents the wheel-shaftadapted to revolve in bearings A, forming a portion of the frame B. Tothe outer end of the said shaft A the hub to of the ordinary wind-wheelis keyed, and upon the inner end of said shaft a grooved wheel, I), issecured, through which wheel motion is communicated to the operatingmechanism of the mill.

Beneath the wheel 11, in alignment therewith, one end of a flat metalspring, D, is secured to the frame B, which spring is-normally bent tothe contour of said wheel,and is adapted to partially encircle the same,being held in position a distance from the periphery by the side flangesforming the peripheral groove. The free end of the spring, whichprojects downward near the lower portion of the frame, is provided witha lug, d.

(No model.

To the lower portion of the vane casting E the horizontal body a of adownwardly and inward ly curved arm, E, is adj ustably secured by meansof a bolt passingthrough said vane casting, and also through alongitudinal slot, 6', in the body 6. Thus when the vane is carried outof the wind by any wellknown or approved means the projecting end of thearm E',coming in contact with the lugged end of the spring, presses thesame down in close contact with the wheel I), whereby the revolution ofthe shaft A is stopped and the wind-wheel prevented from turning untilthe vane is again thrown in the wind.

Having thus described myinvention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination, with the shaft of the wind-wheel, a wheel carriedupon the inner end of said shaft, and a band arranged in connection withsaid wheel, of a curved and out-. wardly projecting arm adj ustablysecured to the vane and adapted to engage said band, substantially asshown and described.

2. The combination, with the shaft A, having a wind-wheel secured at oneend, a groovedwheel, b, secured upon the inner end of said shaft, and aspring, D, secured beneath said wheel, encircling the same within thegroove,

and a lug, d, integral with the free end of said spring, of the curvedarm E, adjustably secured to the vane Eand adapted to engage the freeend of said spring, substantially as shown and described.

JOHN THOMPSON.

Witnesses:

G. VAN SoHELvEN, L. T. KEMTER.

